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It’s What’s Inside That Counts

How can you boost the speed of a computer? There are a few things to consider.
First, for the physical components of the computer, there are really three things that can affect your speed:

The Processor

The Hard drive

The Memory

The processor is the first thing most people think of when they think of how fast their computers can be. However, the processor is not usually what is limiting the speed of your computer. If you have a processor at or near 2 Gigahertz, then you probably have the current industry standard.

The hard drive also affects the speed, because that is where programs are stored when they are not in use. When you run a program, they need to be transferred from the hard drive into the memory so they can be used. If your hard drive is older or if it is having unseen errors, programs and other information can take longer to load.

The Inside of a Hardrive

Although in most cases, increasing your system’s memory will have the greatest effect on a computer’s speed. All of a computer’s programs are loaded into and run from the memory (RAM). This includes everything from simple Word documents, to high-graphic games and the many unseen Windows background programs running simultaneously. The basic amount of memory needed for a Windows 7 computer is 2 or 4 Gigabytes of memory and for most people this is fine. However, if you are multi-tasking computer user, you would probably benefit from increasing your system’s memory.

Although 9 times out of 10 there is a hardware issue or virus infection , the computer user’s perception can also determine how fast a computer seems. In some cases, a computer user will even think that their computer is running slower than it actually is. That’s why we always ask what you typically use your computer for- it gives us an idea of what the expectations for your computer are. Some users might do very well on one computer while other users may find the same system inadequate to fill their computing needs. And, while we can’t change the way people think their computer runs, we can definitely improve their computer’s components.